Means for heating by reflected infra-red rays



Jan. 22,1963 E. BONDONIO 3,075,054

mus fora HEATING BY REFLECTED INFRA-RED RAYS Filed July 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .gwenzoh F 129. 7 fillizq Bunionia Jan. 22, 1963 E. BONDONIO 3,075,064

MEANS FOR HEATING BY REFLECLIED INFRA-RED RAYS Filed July 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JVenfaf ErnesZd fimivm'a 3 f g JZZarney United States Patent ()fiflce 3,075,054 Patented Jan. 22, 1963 3,075,064 MEANS FOR HEATING BY REFLECTED INFRA-RED RAYS Ernesto Bondonio, 89 Via Michele Lessona, Turin, Italy Filed July 15, 1959, Ser. No. 827,396 Claims priority, application Italy Oct. 8, 1958 4 Claims. (Cl. 219-34) The use of infra-red rays for heating-purposes is well known. Hitherto these have generally been radiated in a beam by means of reflectors which are substantially concave or flat, so that the heating-zone remains confined to a small space.

The object of the present invention is to provide a means of heating by reflected infra-red rays, for industrial, domestic and health use, essentially consisting of a reflector with a convex outer surface generally of hemispherical, spherical or elliptical form, equipped with annular troughs which are concentric, parallel and decreasing and in which are accommodated appropriate arcuate rod-like heating elements which emit infra-red rays.

In a constructional form which may be adopted for the invention, the element emitting infra-red rays, i.e. the source of heat, consists of a spiral which is acccmmo dated in an appropriate helicoidal trough cut into the reflector which is spaced from the latter.

' Yet a further constructional form provides for bodies emitting intra-red rays and consisting of a number of small heads separated from one another and distributed over the convex surface of the reflector and situated, at certain distances apart from one another, in suitable re cesses made on the said surface.

According to a variant of whish the object is to prevent the rays directed towards the base of the annular troughs from being reflected in the direction of emission and intercepted by the source of heat, thus remaining unused, an annular projection of triangular cross section is provided at the base of each trough, the apex of the projection facing towards the radiating body, so that the rays emitted in the direction of the base of the trough are reflected without returning again to the source of heat. thus cooperating in the heating-action.

The means of heating by infra-red rays, provided by the present invention, offers the following advantages:

(a) Low installation-costs.

(b) Projection of the infra-red rays at a very wide angle, resulting in very low consumption of electric power and also in the elimination of undesirable cold zones adjacent to the warmed zones.

Heating without the creation of eddies or turbulences in the fine dust contained in the atmosphere, since the walls of the reflector, contrary to those of other known heating-apparatus, are not blackened.

The heating-devices thus provided can with advantage be suspended in the room to be heated, or affixed to the ceiling or walls of the room itself, or again, fitted with a support acting as a pedestal or stand, thus rendering it possible to adjust the heating-device without difliculty in any desired direction.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an axial cross section through a hemispherical convex reflector of a type suitable for attachment to the ceiling, and equipped with ring-shaped elements, situated in horizontal planes, for the emission of infra-red rays.

FIG. 2 is an axial cross section through a hemispherical convex reflector, fitted with elements, situated in vertical planes, for the emission of rays.

FIG. 3 shows the reflector of FIG. 2 turned through an angle of 90.

FIG. 4 shows a reflector, one half being an external view and the other half being an axial cross section, the

reflector being spherical in shape and fitted with parallel, ring-shaped radiating elements, and intended for suspension inside a room.

FIG. 5 is an external view of a combination of two hemispherical reflectors as in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 shows a heating element consisting merely of the radiating tube, shaped into a spiral and having a spherical envelope.

FIG. 7 is a part view of a heating-body the convex surface of the reflector of which has a number of recesses in each of which is accommodated a radiating head.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view through line II of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a lateral elevation of an infra-red ray heatingdevice, fitted with a support serving as a stand and with a convex reflector shown in section.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view through line II-II of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the hemispherical convex reflector of the type shown in FIG. 5.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the heating device shown in FIG. 1 comprises a reflector 1, which is hemispherical and of which the convex outer surface has annular troughs 2, 2', the plane of each of which is parallel to the diametral plane of the reflector, said troughs having outwardly divergent side walls. In these troughs are accommodated annular r0d-1ike infra-red ray heatIng elements 3, 3 each disposed in symmetrical spaced relationship within a separate one of the troughs. In view of the cross-section of these troughs, the walls of which are divergent, the heat-producing rays emitted by the elements 3, 3', are reflected in all d'rections in the resulting space underneath the point of installation, for example, the ceiling, and in a beam which, substantially, covers an angle of The reflector 4, illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, is always hemispherical, but the troughs 5, 5' and 6 are semicircular. In this case, the diameter of the troughs decreases from the centre towards the sides of the reflector 4. In this construction likewise, the emission of the heat-producing rays takes place over wide angle underneath the point at which the reflector is attached, e.g. the ceiling.

The reflector 9 shown in FIG. 4 is spherical, and may be regarded as consisting of two reflectors, as in FIG. 1, superimposed and combined together, and thus suitable for the installation of the radiating-elements 10. In this type of reflector likewise. designed for suspension, the ern'sson of the heat takes place substantially in every direction.

In FIG. 5 the reflector 11, spherical in form, is provided by a combination of the two reflectors of the type illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. The heat is emitted in every direction by means of the radiating-elements 12 and 13.

FIG. 6 shows a heating element 14, of tubular cross section, taking the form of a spiral with a spherical envelope. The heat-producing rays, emitted from the individual points of the tube, perpendicularly to its axis, are radiated practically in every direction, and pass through the spaces between the turns of the spiral, cooperating with the rays emitted in an outward direction from the diametrically opposite turns. This provides a practically uniform radiation of heat, slightly decreasing from the larger towards the smaller diameters of the turns of the coil. The said heating-body can be accommodated in a spherital reflector and be suspended or otherwise installed in the room to be heated.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 the convex reflector 15, preferably spherical, has on its surface a number of recesses 16, in each of which is accommodated a head 17, emitting infrared rays. The heads consequently emit heat-producing rays in a number of individual beams in every direction and the result is the same as that obtained with the heating-device illustrated in FIG. 6.

In the variant illustrated in FIGS. 9-11, the reflector 18, having the generic form of a hemisphere, is provided, on its convex surface, with ring-shaped troughs 19 and 20, which are concentric, parallel and decreasing, and which are situated in various planes, and the base of each trough has an annular projection 21, 22, of triangular cross section, of which the apex faces towards the radiating element 23, 24, which is ring-shaped andis accommodated in the said annular troughs, so that the rays emitted in the direction of the base of the trough are reflected without returning again to the source of heat 23, 24, thus cooperating in the heating-action.

In practice the reflector 18 is aflixed to a spherical bowl 25, mounted on a tubular bar 26, which can slide in a sleeve 27, integral with a cross-piece 28, pivot-mounted on a pedestal 29, of tubular form, so that it can be inclined as desired, and secured in the required position by means of a lever 30. A stop-screw 31 is aflixed to the sleeve 27, to enable the tube 26 to be secured at the desired height, while a protective grating 32, aflixed in front to the heating-bodies, provides a safeguard against accidental contact with any object in the vicinity.

The convex reflector may also be elliptical in shape, and the heating element may take the same form.

I claim:

1. An infra-red ray heating device comprising a hemispherical reflector in the curvedsurface of which are formed a plurality of annular troughs the plane of each of which is parallel to the diamctral Plane of the reflector, said troughs having outwardly divergent side walls, and a plurality of annular rod-like infra-red ray heating elements each disposed in symmetrical spaced relationship within a separate one of the troughs of the reflector.

2. An infra-red ray heating device comprising a hemispherical reflector in the curved surface of which are formed a plurality of semi-circular troughs the plane of each of which is parallel to the plane of all the other troughs and normal to the diametral plane of the reflector,

said troughs having outwardly divergent side walls, and a plurality of semi-circular rod-like infra-red ray heating elements each disposed in symmetrical spaced relationship within a separate one of the troughs of the reflector.

3. An infra-red ray heating device comprising a spherical reflector in the surface of which are formed a plurality of parallel annular troughs having outwardly divergent side walls, anda plurality of semi-circular rod-like infrared ray heating elements each disposed in symmetrical spaced relationship within a separate one of the troughs of the reflector.

4. An infra-red ray heating device comprising a reflector having the shape of a segment of a sphere and in the curved surface of which are formed a plurality of annular troughs the plane of each of which is parallel to the chordal plane of the reflector, said troughs having outwardly divergent side walls, and a plurality of annular rod-like infra-redray heating elements each disposed in symmetrical spaced relationship within a separate one of the troughs of the reflector.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,494,654 Weir 2., May 20, 1924 1,507,142 Schoenfel Sept. 2, 1924 1,531,414 Ruben Mar. 13, 1925 1,652,686 Schoenfeld Dec. 13, 1927 1,870,147 Smalley Aug. 2, 1932 2,398,754 Morrison Apr. 16, 1946 2,500,872 Root-ct a1. Mar. 14, 1950 2,680,183 Gomersall June 1, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 125,906 Switzerland May 16, 1928 411,590 Great Britain June 14, 1934 245,937 Switzerland Aug. 16, 1947 867,720 Germany Feb. 19, 1953 747,084 Great Britain Mar. 28, 1956 

1. AN INFRA-RED RAY HEATING DEVICE COMPRISING A HEMISPHERICAL REFLECTOR IN THE CURVED SURFACE OF WHICH ARE FORMED A PLURALITY OF ANNULAR TROUGHS THE PLANE OF EACH OF WHICH IS PARALLEL TO THE DIAMETRAL PLANE OF THE REFLECTOR, SAID TROUGHS HAVING OUTWARDLY DIVERGENT SIDE WALLS, AND A PLURALITY OF ANNULAR ROD-LIKE INFRA-RED RAY HEATING ELEMENTS EACH DISPOSED IN SYMMETRICAL SPACED RELATIONSHIP WITHIN A SEPARATE ONE OF THE TROUGHS OF THE REFLECTOR. 